n e t h e r
by Cheisayume
Summary: In a parallel world to that of which we know, a sailor works to transport precious cargo.But it is not just the sea he need be wary of. Under the waves lingers a creature few can claim to have seen&she has taken an interest in the sailor. Soon their lives will be thrown into chaos and despair. Will the sea or the hand of a jealous suitor claim his life? Can she save him? [Gruvia]
1. BOOK ONE OF ICE: PART I

_Note: My first Fairy Tail fanfiction has been written! I really enjoyed making up the background of this world, and I even ended up tempting myself to make yet another story in the realm… I will see what I can do with it later on when I have time to play around with my imagination a bit… but this is for a pairing that I absolutely adore and want to become canon. It is one of my three favorite, Gruvia. I am only on chapter 354 right now, and have no clue what's going on any further than that. Please do not spoil the manga! This got a little dark, but I'm glad it did because I need to expand my writing horizons. __**Reviews are always appreciated! **__& if you would like to request a story, just inbox me! Without further ado, please enjoy " r."_

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**PART I**

"Although we never said it to each other, I think we both knew."

This is not the world you are quite familiar with. The characters that you know and love are not comrades as you might believe them to be. Just as there was once a time where our friends discovered another dimension that had a different way of using magic, this too is a different dimension. One that will most likely never be visited by our Fairy Tail Guild. One that will remain a mystery to all who do not live within it. But you see, I have been here, and I will tell you a story that you will most likely never believe.

This is a story of a well-taught sailor of twenty and his admirer, not much younger than he, who dwelled beneath the waves.

Perhaps you are familiar with this tale, as it has been told many times before; perhaps you will become bored with it's familiarity, but I pray that you will not enter with a light heart. For this miss does not sing, nor does she have her voice stolen by a sea witch. She does not go to land to have her prince fall in love with her, and she does not throw herself off a cliff and become sea foam the day that he rejected her. This is a version you have never seen nor read in your books.

Magic, as stated once before, is not a common thing 'round these parts. It is kept secret, and those who do know of it are sworn to keep their traps shut about it. It is dangerous and priceless. And it comes from the sky. Every time a star falls to the earth (and makes it past the atmospheric layers that keep our bodies safe from the heavens) it will collide with the ground and turn the grass and dirt to what is called _Nether_. _Nether_ is a sort of grain that has magical properties. If it is carefully gathered, not touched by flesh, and is cultivated using certain hushed methods, it can be taken in by any organism through their mouth, and will put magical properties and abilities into their systems for years. The record of longest held magic within a body has been thirteen years exactly, but for some reason, the person who had this, died just as the magic left him and returned to the sky, dissolving into little droplets of light. He, too, dissolved, his body never to return to the planet from which he was first born onto. It is a secret that has not been shared with the general public, and is still in the archives for mysterious happenings.

Magic, though, is not the only thing this world is known for. There are other mysterious things that our realm is famous for. Creatures such as unicorns, faeries the size of your pinky, druids who dwell within the trees- there is only one dragon left in this realm, an ice demon who lives upon the highest mountain this world has. He is old and wise, quiet and covered in opal-colored scales… or so it is said. No one knows how he came to be, or if he is truly the last dragon, but it is believed that he is a creature who should be cherished. The mountain he calls home is protected by a group of humans who devote their whole lives to keep his mountain clear of travelers. They work to keep the area around the mountain in pristine condition. It is said to be one of the most beautiful places one could imagine, rivalled only by fairytales in leather-bound books.

However our story is not of this dragon. His is a story that will come to be later… as this world has many stories that are in need of sharing. Our story is of the sea-dwellers, who are said to have been humans at some point in time, many, many, hundreds of years ago. Their existence is a strange one, and many of the population living on land do not believe in their being. They call them "extinct" or "fables." But this is not true. They are very real. And their world is something that the land walkers will never be apart of. Their fables are quite different than the humans. They have their own culture, their own hierarchy and their own territories. Languages are quite different than that of the countries above, but due to their ability to stay open-minded and curious their whole entire life spans, they are able to learn much quicker than any human would. English, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese… no language poses a barrier to them. This can be viewed as both a good and a bad thing, depending on how you decide to look at it… but it is up to you decide if the consequences of such are worth the trouble.

Now. You know our sailor. In the world you are familiar with, he is an ice wizard, trained by a very talented woman known as Ul. He belongs to the Fairy Tail Guild, but here he is just a sailor who works for a company known as "BrAMosia." BrAMosia is a branch of the government that works in the area of the black market. Their specialty? Transporting _Nether._ Not that many of the men on board know that this is indeed what they are moving about from port to port. For the _Nether_ is kept in boxes that are disguised as empty crates. Funny thing is that not a soul is ever suspicious about how light the crates are. Perhaps they believe them to be filled with pipe weed, for that is the same kind of smell the _Nether_ puts off into the atmosphere surrounding it's case. (Recall that_ Nether_ is really only brought in small pouches by men in red hoods to packers who also work for the branch of government that deals this; each crate, though the size of a small dresser, only carries about 12 oz. of _Nether, _which makes for a very interesting weight proportion that is too complicated to just write out and try to explain in text. You will just have to believe that although _Nether _emits a heavenly sort of light and takes on the appearance of grain, it weighs much more. That, mixed in with the smell of packing straw is not quite the most interesting of things. And our man, Gray, is but a minor character in the role of these crates. All he does is help drag them on board and into the empty hull where they will be packed in nicely and then sent on their journey to a distant land that pays a nice price for just straw and weed. Know now that Gray is not a fool. He, like many others, suspects that what he is transporting is not just the local crap that you put in between your lips. No man alive would pay that much for such crates. But they are not to snoop, and if they do, they are taught a lesson they will never forget.

The year is 1143 F.D., and this day is in the summer set in a port that has clear waters and the smell of sea salt and money in the air. Gray swept his black hair from his gaze, the sweat holding it tight to his flesh as he did so, his muscles straining as he and the youngest boy on the ship, Romeo, lifted the box and moved it up the wooden plank, twisting it and moving it into its proper place within minutes.

"What else are we supposed to bring in?" The boy huffed, his body still having not taken on the look of a working teenager yet. He was one of the newest recruits, only being 13.

"Poultry, wood from the mountains, some goods from mining companies, some illegal faeries and a prisoner." Romeo raised a brow at the last word. Prisoners weren't rare to transport, seeing as some fled from their home countries in attempt to get away, but Gray knew exactly why Romeo tensed his shoulders a bit. The boy himself had run away from home not long ago, and there were reward posters in a lot of the ports, seeing as he was from a family who had a lot of power regarding the making of buildings. Gray cleared his throat and clapped the boy on the back as they walked back down into the port, ready to carry in the chickens in cramped cages together. "No worries, only the captain has seen him, and frankly he doesn't seem too worried about it."

"Do you think he knows yet?" Gray knew exactly what the youngster was asking. He bit the side of his lower lip a bit and thought for a minute, to which Romeo hesitated in walking. Turning around and grabbing the boy by his sleeve, he smiled and tossed him towards the chickens.

"He will if you don't become tanned, strong and mean!" He laughed as he grabbed four cages and started walking back towards the ship once more. Romeo followed closely with only two cages and kept in Gray's shadow the whole time, careful not to look into any of the passerby's eyes as he did so. Since he had run away, his hair had grown quite a lot, and was now held back in a low ponytail. This was not necessarily the best disguise, and both the boys knew it… but it was the best they could do at the moment. Once they were out at sea, Gray had promised to catch a SunWing for the boy and use it's scales to create a sort of mesh that would be rubbed roughly into his hair. For some reason, this fish's scales, when mashed into a sort of goo, could turn hair into the color of the sea. Blue and beautiful. Of course it was only temporary, but at least it worked for a couple months at a time. It could also be put on the skin and used as a sort of SPF. It's dyeing effects didn't mess with pigment in the skin, but only that of hair. Reason as to why? Who knew.

The cargo was loaded, the prisoner put into a locked room that only the captain could enter with a certain key, and in no time, the boat was off. High above, clouds were starting to form. Only a few of the sailors were worried about this, and they talked in hushed tones about how it was strange that the clouds took on the shape of a small dome. It only grew and grew until, when they were far out at sea, it covered the whole sky. No rain came, but weary gazes were not wasted on it. Gray and Romeo moved up top, switching places with a few men who would be making sure the chickens were fed, the crates were in place and the door to the prisoners room was not broken into.

The sky had definitely taken on an entirely new look, covering the waves with a velvety gray blanket covered in a thin layer of sea-swept frost. Gray furrowed his brows and then took the boy beside him by the shoulder and steered him back into the ships hull. The smaller man complained, griping and screaming about what the big deal was as Gray tossed him down the steps.

"Don't you dare come up here, you hear me? Keep that damn door shut and stay there." He slammed the door in the youngsters face without waiting for a reply and ran back up onto deck, hearing the chaos that was about to begin. Cold swept over his flesh. Strange how the wind in summer can sometimes be the cruelest. You at least expected the frigid temperatures in the winter time… but summer was always throwing a rabbit out if its black top hat. And now he was working, working, working, tugging the ropes that held the sails so that they would be put away. The storm was not to steal their important fabric from their very hands. The deck was already soaked with sea water as the waves suddenly became larger, pulling and pushing the wooden boat in and out of its grasp, threatening the humans aboard with flashes of lightning that struck the water every once in a while, sending shards of white light upon the men's faces. And the drums above in the clouds only beat a rhythm to the boys' work, pushing them on as they were urged to get everything set down and keep themselves and their brothers on board. Twice Gray almost lost his footing, and once he was thrown to the railing, catching himself tightly with slippery hands on the watered wood. He slammed his eyes shut, holding on for dear life, not caring whether or not splinters found their way into his fingers as he would rather have to deal with that than drowning in storm-infested waters. And whatever lay beneath the surface…. Hesitantly the young man opened his dark eyes just as the rain became ever harder, pelting his exposed chest as hail would. Flinching, he turned his head to the side and suddenly went still, daring not to move. What he saw astounded him, and he wondered if he was just seeing things in the waves as they pounded against the wooden arc.

Hair, the color of the sky on a summer day, holding tight to a face that could only be made by the gods, for it had the properties only porcelain could compare itself to. A girl? His lips started to form words just as she caught his gaze and her eyes widened before she moved her hands to her side and dove underneath the water. What followed had Gray with his lungs screaming for air. Where legs should have been… a tail was connected. A soft silver and periwinkle mixed together. He couldn't see it clearly, and therefore only caught onto the strange thought that he had just… seen a mermaid. Something only a few sailors can boast about. That is… if they can keep their lives while they're out at sea. It's said that these creatures can tell who has seen them or a fellow mermaid, and will never stop at trying to drag the human to the water so that he cannot share their secrets. Dangerous, beautiful and cloaked in mystery.

A shout caught his attention and he turned around, his muscles straining and his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed hard, his mouth dry with the taste of salt. Blinking a few times, he returned, moving away form the edge of the railing where he had seen her disappear, and started to follow orders once more, helping to secure some of the cargo that had been placed on the deck of the ship since it would not fit into the hull. What seemed like days later, though it had only been around three hours, the rain finally calmed and the seas flattened once more. The dome of gray dissipated into the blue, as if it had never even been there to begin with, and the boys started to relax a bit. Romeo came crashing out of the hull, aiming straight for the man who had thrown him in there in the first place. He was covered in sweat and salt water, as the boat wasn't in the best of shape, and small leaks were to be expected of it.

"I hate you so much." he growled through his teeth, aiming a punch for Gray's stomach. His swings were still those of a child, and Gray easily caught it with a firm hand, twisting his arm around and capturing the young one in a headlock.

"That's not true. You just don't like being bossed around. Go and tell the guys that once they're done making sure no water drowned the chickens, they can go and eat." Romeo's eyes lit up immediately.

"Do we get to eat too?"

"Not yet, idiot. We've got some fishing to do."

The day was almost done, now, and that meant that it was nearing the perfect time to start catching as much fish as possible for the men to eat. That also meant that it would be the best time to sneak a SunWing out of the pile and use its scales to turn Romeo's hair to blue- a thought struck Gray right then and there as the two went to go and join the others who were starting to lower a net into the ocean that had almost knocked them into the water just hours beforehand. That thought led him back to what he thought he had imagined. The girl with blue hair…

"Hey Romeo."

"Hm?" The boy looked over as the two grasped the net and helped to throw it over the side.

"You believe in mermaids?"

"PFFFT!" Laughter erupted from the young boy's mouth, echoing into the sea-drawn atmosphere and grabbing the attention of some of the men they were working with. When he regained himself a bit, still holding his stomach and clenching his shirt as if he were afraid his esophagus was going to fall clean out of him, he hissed a few words, trying to make them audible. "Ch-Children's stories?! As i-if! Mi-might as wel-ll be-l-lee-leeve in NETHER if you're go-going to c-cloud your brain with MERMAIDS!" Laughter again poured out of his open mouth and Gray, his eyes already narrowed into slits and his brows furrowed, popped him upside the head, to which Romeo grunted and glared, his laughter dying off quickly as he saw the look on his seniors face. "Why?"

"Just wondering." The boy didn't look convinced at the answer, but shrugged it off. Perhaps that was the good thing about Romeo. If someone didn't want to share, he didn't press them for information. He took them as they were, and pulled the information and questions in with a grain of salt. He was always aware of what others said, and kept their inquiries and facts in mind, but he never made a big deal out of them.

Just as the moon began to show herself, the men pulled out the net, completely thrilled to find enough fish to feed them for the next few days that their journey would take. And among them, as they spilled out, were just a few SunWings. Not the rarest fish in the world, but they weren't really in these parts. The ones caught now must have been migrating back to their breeding grounds… Gray snagged one swiftly and he and Romeo slipped into the hull, where Gray motioned for Romeo's knife and then slid the scales off with clean cuts. Then, with the handle of the utensil, the two took turns grinding the scales up into a pulp. When it was Romeo's turn, Gray took the flesh of the fish to the kitchen and slipped it into the pile of uncut fish, careful not to be seen. They weren't allowed in the cooking area, and could receive beatings if they were caught, but at this time, the cook was more concerned with the men who were holding out wooden plates and bowls for their food. Gray looked around quickly, then snagged a small piece of (probably stale) bread for Romeo. The boy was a fish bone in the first place, and it wouldn't be bad to just fatten him up a bit if he could.

When he returned, he sat on a crate, with Romeo in front of him, and worked with a pail of sea water and the fish scales to wash the boys hair with the mix. It stunk horribly, but what could they do? It didn't really matter, since none of the men on this ship were allowed showers until the next port. Fresh water was only used for drinking and cooking (if even that) and no one would mind yet another stinking worker. It was the norm. Romeo would just have to deal with smelling like fish guts for a few days. The color sunk in quickly, turning the boys hair white before tendrils of blue finally slid up the singular hairs bit by bit. It was a remarkable process, and by the time it was finished, they had missed dinner and Gray could no longer recognize the boy. The color had ombred down his ponytail, and around his uncut bangs. Gray bit back a smirk. Romeo, however, caught it.

"What? Does it look horrible?! Did it work?" Gray shook his head and ruffled the boys hair before standing up and walking to the other room where the men slept. "Gray- GRAY!"

"You just look like a girl, that's all." Romeo muttered something under his breath, not wanting to curse in front of the older men, since he would most likely get a slap to his cheeks if he disturbed them with a cuss while they were trying to sleep.

"It's your fault."

"Is not. You wanted to look different, well now you do. Just don't be surprised if you get teased. I'm going to bed, go and see if the cook will let you clean the dishes and get something to eat for helping." Romeo said nothing, but twisted on his heel and stomped off as Gray dumped himself into a hammock and put his arms behind his head, staring up at the filled hammock above him. He started to doze off not minutes later, and found himself thinking hazily about that face in the water.

* * *

He had seen her. She had caught his eyes staring at her just as she had met the surface, trying to keep herself above the waves so that she could see just what was going on. And she had been SEEN. The girl put her hands to her palette, her hair swirling around her as if it had a life of its own. Anguish tilted along her cheeks as she opened her eyes and peered through her slender fingers. No one could know. If they knew that a human had seen her, they would also find out that she had been following them since two ports ago. Watching them. Drawn to one of them. A HUMAN, of all things. Many times before, the girl had asked herself just why she even cared. Why she was so tempted to follow their journey? Follow _him?_ Well she kind of knew the answer, but she wasn't quite sure if it was exactly true within her own heart. She sunk lower into the bed of coral she had found herself taking refuge in when the storm cleared and she turned her head, arms splayed out. Blue eyes narrowed slightly as she stared off into space, her imagination only rippled by the colorful dance of a small fish or two that came to see what a mermaid was doing in their abode. A small clownfish wouldn't dare come any closer, even when she wiggled her fingers at it playfully and she sighed, bubbles coming from her lips as she closed her eyes and flicked her tail.

This is Juvia, not a princess by any means. Her father was not the King of the Ocean, and her mother was not a passing piece of magic that just so happened to take the form of what he loved the most. She was an orphan, taken in by, go figure, the royals out of pure sympathy. Raised as a girl who would tend to whatever the youngest princess, Lisanna, needed. She was to follow her everywhere, almost as a bodyguard would. She attended marriage proposals, alliance signings, balls (as we call them on land, though merpeople know them as "munas"), etc. Lisanna was kind. She allowed Juvia her freedom every so often (which is the real reason as to why she was thousands of miles away at the moment), and shared her riches with the girl. Juvia was marked as a royal only because of Lisanna's love for her friend. And this meant that the girl had certain rights and certain freedoms that other merfolk did not. However… just because she had these rights did not mean that she was allowed entire freedom. Still the rules of territories marked her unable to travel all the way around the world without being intercepted by those that would sense her being.

Juvia opened her cerulean eyes and twirled a part of her hair that had been braided with bits of shells and hollowed pearls. That was Lisanna's work.. A shadow passed over her and she looked up, eyelashes fluttering in the soft clutches of the deep water and she watched as a net was thrown into the sea, just as the sun ducked beneath the surface of the horizon. Fear swept through her and she bolted, travelling as fast as she could away from the area that would soon be filled with the screams and terrified talk of fish who would never see the ocean again.

Time passed slowly as she watched from a distance behind a strange-shaped rock. Fingers clutched at the stone and her tail flicked behind her softly, every so often touching the ground and sweeping up sand. Folding her arms underneath her chin, she lazily waited for something to happen. Obviously the ship would be moving at night, just as all ships did, but for now, it was stuck in one place, gladly floating above the waves as if it were in complete and utter tranquility. After minutes of staring, she swept her gaze to her left, then her right, and finally took in a deep breath and moved closer, aware that the net had already been drawn up. When she was close enough, she grabbed the wooden bottom of the ship and began pulling herself up, careful not to make any noise as her head broke the surface. At first she did nothing but allow her eyes to adjust to the lighting with the stars and the moon high above, and then she took yet another deep breath, clenched her teeth and started crawling higher up the hull. There were square holes in the side, marking the boat as a galleon with cannons, though in these peaceful times, they were most likely only used to air out the inner portion of the hull. Slowly sliding her fingers to the sill, she inched her way up, her tail flopping awkwardly as she did so. Mermaids are not muscular, especially the females, unless they train to be guards of some sort. Juvia was no guard, and she had not been training to do anything athletic… climbing into ships was not on her bucketlist, but nevertheless, she kept her jaw tight and peered into the hull.

What she saw surprised her, and she kept her breathing as quiet as she could. The boy she had been investing all her time into stalking was there, not mere tail lengths away, mashing up what looked like… fish scales? Into a wooden bowl with the back of a knife. Minutes later, he put the mixture into a younger boys hair, and she watched as the tradition of merpeople when they are first born was suddenly used on a human. Not all merfolks hair is blue. The SunWing, as humans named it, is a sacred piece of life to them, and is used to determine what a young ones hair will be like, as they are all born with no hair at all. It is rubbed on the skull and as the child grows, the hair chooses a shade (usually one about the same color as the parents) and stays with them for their whole lifespan. The man looked to the side and with a small gasp, Juvia ducked her head, careful not to let go. When no footfalls came towards her, she peeked over the top again, readjusting her grip on the sill. The younger ones hair had turned to the color of the pearls weaved into her own hair, and it finally turned his head a little darker shade of blue than Juvia's. Strange… Very strange. Now, she lowered herself back into the water and followed the length of the ship, every so often adjusting her speed so that she could catch up with it.

High above, however, storm clouds were starting to form once more, only given away by the flickering light of the stars that signified yet another summer swell was coming their way.


	2. BOOK ONE OF ICE: PART II

_Note: Despite mermaids not being my favorite thing to write about, I love pulling all the strings! PART I was very slow, as I was taking the time to describe a lot of the setting and what not- PART III, at least, will not be as dull though I cannot promise such for Part II as I have no confidence in my work. I need to thank Sharon Matthews on youtube for putting together a fantasy playlist that includes fairy-related tunes as well as mermaid music. It helps a lot with the muse! Plus DA is providing a lot of love with all the Gruvia pictures. This is difficult to write- How are you liking this one? Is it alright? Please review tell me what you think! I appreciate any and every comment! It shows me that people are indeed paying attention to what I'm writing._

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**Part II**  
"I had the strangest feeling.. as though we had our own secret in some other lifetime."

When the rain started, Juvia barely heard it. She had taken to resting for half an hour between each interval of chasing the ship to make sure she didn't lose it. And to keep her boredom at bay, she weaved a band of seaweed mixed in with dead coral and shell pieces to put around her head, securing it with strands of her hair. At first she thought that it was just the sound of other animals moving along the surface. A pod of dolphins lived in these parts, and it wouldn't have surprised her to have looked up and found that they were following the ship as well. Playful and kind, they were. But when she turned her head to look up at the surface where the sun had just started to pull itself up again, she found her heart hammering in her chest. Another storm? And so early in the morning? Helpless, there was nothing Juvia could do but watch as the sea took up it's angered state once again, only affecting those that tried to use it as passage from place to place above the waters surface. Below, the water couldn't be more calm. But the problem was not the storm now. Along the coast here, there is a very dangerous outcropping that delves beneath the waves every so often, hiding itself before rearing up to catch ships unaware. And this galleon was heading straight for it. Juvia's eyes widened and she kicked her tail so hard that she could feel the slicing of the water against her face as she flew after the wooden cargo ship.

And she watched in horrified silence as it struck the rock on its side, tossed its body a bit, and then took a wave over the top. The crunching of the wood only continued as the waves pounded into it, as if making sure that the boat was going to be smashed to smithereens. And Juvia moved delicately among the carnage, watching as men jumped into the ocean, their legs kicking and their clothes pulling them down into the depths. Every once in a while, she shoved one or two up with her hands, allowing them to resurface, pushing them in the direction of the rocks so that they may grab onto some driftwood or the rock itself and bare themselves against the merciless waves. And she looked hard and searched fervently for the man she had been following. Beside her, a piece of wood broke from it's splintery sides and flew towards her, hitting her in the torso, cutting a nice thick wound across her stomach and tail. A scream echoed from her mouth as she sent her hand to her waist. It wasn't as if mermaids had magical properties to them. They too, were creatures who lived without magic. And this being so, it wasn't as if she was going to heal right then and there.

Biting her lip so hard that it, too, also let out blood, she turned this way and that, frantically searching for that familiar uncovered upper body, black hair and calloused hands. She was lucky to catch a glimpse of him as the ship tilted even more so on its side, its masts slipping into their burial ground. Moving as quickly as she could towards the hole, she slid through, not minding as she cut her hand on the splintered edge of the hull. This place was not yet full with water quite yet, and it was hard to maneuver, seeing as she had a fin and not two legs as he did. But what she saw had her fighting for air. Not a soul was around him, and he was unconscious… or dead?! Her heart leaped into her throat, making her want to puke. No, that couldn't be right! She surged forward, checking the pulse in his neck and sighing as she found a heartbeat. And then, very persistently, she grabbed his wrists and started tugging him in the direction of the hole again, aware that with every second she wasted, the ship was going down ever the more quickly. He would not be able to breathe in air soon… and she might get skewered by a stray piece of wood (him as well). At first, it would seem that he regained himself a bit, and he tried in vain to move away from her. Was he afraid that she was dragging him to his death? She tugged harder, and when he gave in, she did her best to drag them both towards the hole, pushing herself through first, then grabbing his wrist once more.

With a great amount of effort, he was pulled through, and she readjusted her grip on him, wrapping her arms under his and shooting towards the disastrous surface. Rain pelted their heads and she struggled to stay at the surface with both his and her weight to now carry. But she couldn't just let go… he was unconscious, and… she checked his pulse once again and panicked when she found it was even weaker than before. Thunder rolled overhead and lightning struck one of the masts, sending it with a ear-piercing crack, crashing to the water. Juvia took a big breath and dove with the man in her grip, swimming away from the mess and in the direction of an area that had a different feel to it.

As dolphins can use sonar, mermaids are capable of sensing the difference in waves and their lifespan. Her head broke the surface and she squeezed the man, pounding her flat palm against his back so that he may cough up some of the water he had unintentionally swallowed. It didn't work as well as she had hoped, but he sputtered out some of it as she started pulling him away. The wind sent the pellets of rain into her eyes, and the seaweed crown she had made was dissolved into a mess of kelp. Its knots, which were not very strong in the first place, fell apart and it drifted from her as she grunted at the effort of pulling his mass with her wounded side. If she didn't move quick enough, the blood from her body would attract predators that were not to be appreciated at the moment. So her incentive grew and with it, so did the stroke of her tail and one of her arms.

What a sight this must have been to see… a man, looking as a corpse would, being pulled by a girl who had pearls and shells weaved into her strange-colored hair. Every once in a while, a slippery fin slapped the rolling surface of the sea, trying to propel the two ever the more quickly.

* * *

As soon as the boat hit the rocks, the man raised his head, the cloak that had been covering his hair falling to his shoulders, revealing white hair and dark, charcoal portals. A smile that even the devil would admire, lifted his lips into a devious position. He stood and moved to the locked door, opening it with just a swift twist of his wrist.

* * *

Gray remembered was running to get Romeo when something hard hit his head and the world was filled with swaying black objects. Cold ran down his shoulders and he was pounded in the side with salt water. When he turned his head, his vision failed him, and he felt himself falling. But he wasn't even able to feel himself hit the floor that was already starting to fill with water as a fish tank does. Around him, no one moved to get him or try to save him. It was survival of the fittest now. The brotherhood that had once been so important to these sailors was suddenly dissolved into mass chaos. It was every man for himself now. But in the midst of this certain death, he broke in and out of consciousness, feeling the touch of cold, wet hands on his wrists, pulling him closer and closer to the source of all the water. With the little energy he had left, he tried to struggle. Going towards the water would only drown him quicker… it wasn't right. But those little hands (which he thought then to be Romeo's) tugged ever the more ardently on his flesh. Nails dug into his skin and he exhaled, allowing himself to be pulled. If he was going to die, he might as well get it over with, right? It was the last thought he had before the water engulfed him entirely and he was pulled into the mind of a man who is soon to close his eyes and his lungs to the world for the last time.

It was hard to open his eyes. They felt as if they were weighed down with sand. And the bright light of the sun didn't help with the process. He did not want to open his eyes. His mouth opened just as his eyes fluttered slightly apart, and he coughed weakly. Gray felt like hell… he felt like… Without his previous hesitation, he sat straight up, dragging his heavy arms to his eyes and tried to pry them open quicker. They wouldn't dilate as quickly as he would have liked them too, but when they did, he stared dumbfounded. He was on an island. LAND. And even more surprising… he was ALIVE. Breathing. Looking around, he found himself to be alone, accompanied only by pieces of driftwood that had no doubt been washed up from the wreckage, and… blood? A trail of blood. He blinked a few times, attempting to clear most of the drowsiness away, and moved his hand to touch the drying liquid. It was still fresh.. Looking up and around, he found that it trailed, along with indents in the grains that looked like a body had been pulled… across?

He carefully stood up, allowing himself time to do so. And when he was sure that he wasn't going to fall over and go unconscious again, he began walking along the trail. With his wet pants, he had a feeling that his skin was going to be very raw for a few days, but he wasn't going to take his lower coverage off just yet. Not if there was another person nearby. For about half a mile he followed it, and soon the blood was all but gone, though the drag marks remained. Strange… had the sand covered the wound so much that only flecks of crimson were to remain? He tilted his chin up, eyes still searching for whatever wounded animal would cause such a strange happening. And with only a few steps further, he froze where he stood. Before him, still a good length away, was a small tide pool, filled to the brim with salt water, and inside of that… sitting… was the same girl he had seen in the water during the first storm that hit their galleon. Her back was to him, and she was pressing something to her stomach, hunching her shoulders over while she did so. Gray looked to his right and quietly made his way into the foliage there, not wanting to scare her. Her hair was pulled to her front, and a good thing too, since she wore nothing that would cover up her front. Maybe that is why her hair was so long… A small head rush blocked his vision momentarily and he winced, an angry sigh slipping past his lips while he slammed a hand to his skull.

And when he opened his eyes again, she had turned around slightly, staring straight at him. Had she heard him?! Gray opened his mouth and tried to form words, but he only blubbered. She herself had her mouth set in a firm line, her eyes wary. And why shouldn't she be? He was WATCHING her. The girl put her hands on the rock and just then her face was filled with pain. Gray moved without even thinking about it. Her fingers slipped on the rocky pool side, and she started to fall forward just as he started towards her and he fought with the sand beneath his bare feet to get to her before she hit the ground. And just like any prince in your children's books, he caught her. And stared. Perhaps princes aren't supposed to stare, but seeing as Gray was raised on ships and not in the company of fine ladies, he is… well.. more like a vagabond than a royal prince. And it wasn't even her upper half that he was staring at, as most perverted men would. It was her tail. A cut, clean and wide, sliced through her stomach and into the scaled part of her. He couldn't help but wince at just the sight. No wonder she was hunched over in pain. Turning his attention back to her, he tensed when he found that she, too, was staring at him. Clearing his throat and helping to set her back up on the rock, he took a few steps back, unsure of what to do.

It's not like there are books or stories about how to approach a mermaid. There's no knowledge of formalities that exist between humans and merfolk, much less anything other than ill thoughts. If one was to just follow the rumors, and make assumptions based off of those… he'd expect her to have red eyes, sharpened teeth, a voice that could make you go deaf within moments of hearing it's volume… nails as dangerous as knives and scales that could cut with just a touch. He'd expect her to tear his limbs off of him one by one and be forced to watch her devour them. So, he did what he thought to perhaps be the best. The same kind of treatment you would give someone of higher standing whom you were in debt to. He bowed his head, put his hands to his side and knelt to the ground.

* * *

Lisanna had nothing against giving Juvia her freedom. Indeed she treasured having the ability to do so. But knowing that her friend could go outside the coral kingdom and she herself couldn't… well it saddened the girl. Here she was, splayed out on her bed in her own regal room constructed from the gold of shipwrecks and carved from thousands of smelted pearls… alone. Usually Juvia came back days before she was supposed to because she also knew that Lisanna was lonely and trapped. Caged in a place where others beneath her status could only dream of living in. And she sighed. She'd been sighing for hours. Her door slammed open and her older brother, Elfman, came in, accompanied by two of his guards, clad in shark skin armor. They brandished spears in their muscular grips. She sat up, her salmon tail lowering to the sanded floor, swishing back and forth as he moved towards her. His own tail was a dark charcoal color, which is probably why his guards wore shark skin apparel. Because it was the closest they could get to mimicking their king-to-be. Lisanna stretched her milky-colored arms out, awaiting a hug that he always bestowed upon her. But her smile fell when he stopped short, his face grim.

"Elf-?"

"Come along, Lisanna."

"What is it?" Was she sure this was her Elfman? He was never too serious with her, and even if he was, he smiled and made sure to bring news to her gently. But this… he was gruff. Too serious.

"Juvia has been Seen." Lisanna's mouth fell open slightly, but she recovered as quickly as she could, aware that they were not the only two in the room. She moved so that she was 'standing' and swam right past him, maneuvering around the guards with ease. From beside her door, she snatched up her own weapon, a sword crafted from just a small portion of a whale's rib bone. It had been carved with care, very delicate markings engraved into it's structure, and a handle that had been made just for her was clad in onyx gems. As soon as she left the room, all the light reflecting off the gold walls went with her, leaving it dark and... hauntingly empty.

The royal siblings had no need to bother their father with such trivial matters as a 'servant' (which he referred to Juvia being) and her being Seen. But the reason as to why Elfman had come to his little sister's room in the first place was so that she could get Juvia out of trouble. Save her from being put on trial, and perhaps... killed for her careless actions. The party only consisted of Elfman, Lisanna, and the same two guards who had barged into her room earlier. Lisanna led the front, as she, better than anyone, could sense Juvia's whereabouts no matter where she got herself off to. It was strange, though. Though she could sense the girl, she could only slightly do so. As if she was not quite in the ocean. Fear gripped her heart tightly and she bit her lip, kicking her fin faster and clenching her fists beside her as she went. Juvia was not a fool. And there was no way that she would expose herself or the merfolk to humans... right?

* * *

Juvia stared at the nameless man in utter surprise. Transfixed by him. Immobilized by his movement that was so obvious to any culture that it may as well have screamed out what his yearly income was. She stared from where he had put her down, her tail twitching nervously. Out of pure habit to calm herself down, she grabbed a strand of her long hair and began stroking it methodically, the texture familiar to her feminine digits. But she couldn't speak his language. At least... not yet. And therefore, there was nothing she could do but stare at him and wait for him to get off his knee and return to his regular standing position. After moments of silence from the both of them, however, it was clear that it was she who had the ball in her court. She steadied herself back on the rock, blood slipping down her flesh and splattering onto her seat once more. A small groan that can only be compared to wind chimes, slipped through her clenched teeth. His attention flew back to her and she slammed her palm against her side, still wide open and spilling out a dangerous amount of blood. Of course tide pools are connected to the ocean waves, so the pool itself wasn't filled with her blood, only traces of it. The rest of it had already been washed back out to sea. The crimson fluid slipped through her fingers and she puffed up her cheeks in effort to control her facial expressions from turning from pained to absolutely horrified. The wound was deeper than she had once thought it to be.

In front of her the man stood, cautiously approaching her. Her eyes flickered underneath her lashes, unable to make anything out of the situation. Did he think that she was going to bite him or something? She looked to his face and cringed again. The man trembled as he came closer, then drew back. He said something... in his own language. She stared at him, confusion and hurt meddling with her face. He turned his head, then looked back at her again, a strange smile on his face. His words were of a soft volume. Not too loud... they were nice to listen to. And then he ran off. Her eyes widened and she tried to call out to him, not wanting him to run away from her just yet. But her words made as much sense to him as his own did to her and he did not respond to them. Juvia arched her neck to the sky and put her arm on her brows, blocking the sun from her gaze as she put to memory the position of the sun. She still had time. Lisanna wouldn't expect her to be back before the day she was due... right? Cautiously her gaze swept back out to the ocean waves just off to her right and she blinked a few times, not wanting to become too anxious. No. She would be fine. No one knew. No one knew...

He came back just a few minutes later with an armful of leaves from the tropical trees that grew on the more inward part of the island. As soon as he reached her, he sat himself down and began skillfully messing with the plants, tearing one of them to shreds. She soon realized, however, that as he weaved those long shreds together, they formed a sort of guaze-y material that would be perfect for... clotting blood. Now astonished at his movements, she watched in complete fixation as he made a makeshift tie that would go around her whole waist. It would secure the pad to her flesh... He was... caring for her? Juvia could say nothing to him, and not just because she spoke a different language. But also because she was too stupefied to do so. Humans were said to be heartless beings who cared naught for the well being of other creatures on the planet. And yet here this one was, weaving a bandage to clot her wounds. When he stood up, she obediently lifted her arms and watched with a curious gaze as he softly pressed the pad to her wound. It was not long enough to cover the entire wound and he must have also noticed this, for he almost pulled away, but she moved one of her hands to hold his own hand there. He looked up and her heart leaped. She turned her head away in embarrassment and he went back to securing the thing to her. Once it was tied around her waist and secured in a fashion that would not come off so easily, she lowered her arms and considered her favor of rescuing him repaid.

And now he opened his mouth. And he spoke.

"You- I saw you in the storm." She searched desperately through her memory to try and find Lisanna's studies that she also attended. Which language was this? Once she pinpointed that, she began to meld her brain to it's fashion of forming words. As stated once before, mermaids are quick learners, and even quicker at applying their knowledge. Though Juvia is quite a young advocate for merfolk culture, she too can display this apt for knowledge very nicely. Even though she has not been directly taught the ways of speech, having only learned it from Lisanna.

"Yes." His eyes seemed to glow with surprise and admiration at her simple word and she flushed, her eyes wandering around to rest on something else that hopefully didn't get her heart pounding in the same way that he himself did.

"Did you save me?" She replied with the same word as before, flicking her ivory and periwinkle tail. "Why?" She inhaled sharply and, once again, was subject to her nervous habit of playing with her hair.

"...She..." He listened to her as one would listen to a man describing how to find hidden treasure. But he didn't even let her finish her sentence. She wondered briefly as he spoke up, just what she was going to say to him. That she loved him?

"Did you save Romeo?" She furrowed her brows. Was he called Romeo? No. He seemed to be asking a different question. She tried her best to answer, knowing that her words were limited due to her knowledge not being the best of this speech.

"Only one."

"Tell me! Did you or did you not save the child?!" The child?! She widened her eyes as his hands gripped her shoulders. She winced and flinched away from him.

"You are hurting Juvia!" But he obviously was not aware of his own actions. His eyes were wide, frantic.

"DID YOU SAVE HIM?!"

"Juvia only saved one!" She grappled at his grip with her cut hand and she saw his gaze go wide as well, his hands flying from her flesh. She rubbed her shoulders and looked up, frightened at what had just happened. He seemed to be far off now, staring with cloudy eyes at the sea from which they both had come from. And then he bit his lip, kicked up the sand beneath his feet angrily and screamed at the sky. Juvia's hands flew to her delicate ears, which could hear more sounds than he could ever imagine, and she closed her eyes tightly. This man... had she made a mistake in saving him? Was he angry with her? But she...

* * *

Only miles away from where Lisanna and Elfman had set off from their domain, there was another merman awaiting them. He, too, had white hair, though its pigment was different than their own. He was not a sibling, that was for sure... but he... Lisanna gulped in a gasp and retreated to Elfman, watching as the guards looked at one another in surprise. Elfman motioned towards the man.

"He is the one who saw Juvia." The boy, only a year or two older than Lisanna, nodded, his sharp teeth revealing themselves as he smiled. Shivers ran up the girls spine.

"But he-" Her voice piped up but was cut off by the man's own lyrics.

"Indeed. It would appear that there has been a bit of trouble that I've brought along with me... but seeing your friend was not the only thing I have found from this galleon. I am sure the humans will be terrified to know that I have such a secret within my knowledge"

"You are a HALF!" She exploded, surprising herself now. Halves were not to be trusted. They were the only kind of merfolk that could sprout human legs if they so pleased. They could live in both worlds. But this was a sin. Any union between a merfolk and a human was strictly forbidden. Frowned upon to the point that it meant certain death if they were discovered. Their offspring... although highly disapproved, were allowed to live due to the fact that they could be recruited as spies and knowledge-bringers.

"Yes, princess, I am." He smiled even wider. "And I am all yours." Lisanna turned to Elfman, who grimaced and spoke up.

"And what have you got to speak of regarding this galleon, half-man?" The white haired boy brought a thoughtful hand to his chin, a confused gaze on his face.

"Alas, it would appear that my memory has become hazy... if I were to be... rewarded..."

"Anything within my power." Lisanna cast a wary glance to her brother. To have a merperson's word was to secure a life, a prison break. It was a promise that could not be broken. A smile crept to the boys lips. One that had all four of the visitors on guard. Lisanna didn't like this man. Not one bit. It wasn't that she was biased against halves... but the were not to be trusted. They were tricky, leading many merfolk to their deaths in the traps of fishermen. The white haired stranger performed a half bow, sweeping his hand in a dramatic motion towards the quartet.

"Then by all means, I, Lyon, am in your care." And he looked up, grinning at Lisanna. This wasn't going to be a good time in her life, was it? Lisanna grabbed for her older brother's hand and found it, wrapping her fingers around his thumb. Something she had done since she was a child. Something that meant she didn't like being in a situation. His jowls tensed as he grinded his teeth together but he said nothing.


	3. BOOK ONE OF ICE: PART III

_Note: Wow. This turned out to be one of my favorite stories I think I've ever written. This might become "BOOK ONE" of some sort; like I can make it a tragic story that goes on for three stories… that'd be cool :) PART III was by far the most difficult to write. Please let me know if you want to see more of this story, or if I should just stop here and leave Nether be. I hope you enjoyed these three parts as much as I enjoyed writing them… and I hope you are okay with my weaving my realm around my finger. BY ALL MEANS, PLEASE DO REVIEW if you would like to request the furthering of nether, or even a one shot with your favorite characters, please inbox me._

* * *

**PART III**  
"And [hopefully] soon enough, I'll forget why I ever loved you in the first place. [But in the meantime] soon enough is a lifetime away."

For some time the man did not speak. He had thrown himself to the sand under a portion of trees that would keep the sun off him. And though Juvia could tell that he was holding in his emotions, she could smell the distinct odor of his unshed tears even from the length that she was at. For hours he stayed like this, and she did her best to give him space. For half an hour she just sunbathed in her tidal pool, happy to find that there was life in there. She poked and prodded the unaware starfish, surprising them into letting loose, to which she gathered them into her hands and put them into her hair. Not all merfolk are vain. In fact, only a portion of them seem to even be aware that hair can be messed with. But, being raised with Lisanna meant that Juvia had been exposed to prepping for grand events and for her princess's eligible bachelors to which they both had attended many a dinner for.

And when the fascination with the small sea animals that dwelled in this rocky pool was finished with, she heaved herself back out to sea, feeling her wounded stomach prickling with the thought of food. She said nothing to the man, who seemed to still be full of emotions that were not to be wasted in the heat of the day. And she went to the ocean once more, making sure to spear enough fish with a makeshift weapon for both of them. She thanked the creatures for their sacrifice and gathered kelp and seaweed in a huge amount so that she could dry some to eat, and wrap the rest around her wound. The bandage he himself had made was good, but it was starting to become too dry, and it hurt against her delicate flesh. It was hard work, finding the right size wave to push her back into the tidal pool. But it was the only thing she could do. She could not set herself on the sand, for she would certainly die without the water to sustain the brightness of her scales.

When she found it, she used it to her liking and dipped back into the pool once more, setting the seaweed out to dry and putting the fish up against one of the rocks. The man was still lying under the shade, and she wondered how nice it must feel to dwell in the sun, but still be protected by it. Now, however, she was faced with a different problem. How to drag him to pay her attention again. Her heart fluttered at the thought of those dark eyes on her and she lowered herself behind the shelter of the rocks, pressing her forehead against the cool surface of where the water met stone. She breathed out bubbles and then turned around, taking a handful of the kelp and pressing it up against her scales. The nice motion of moving it up and down the length had her relaxing more than she should have, and she began to sing. But know that this was not the most beautiful voice of the merfolk. Juvia only sang when Lisanna wanted her to. And that was hardly ever.

But now she sang of a tale that was well known to her people. Of a merman who fell to the beauty of a human woman. He visited her every night, knowing that she often came to the beach when she was wanting to be alone with her thoughts. After months and months of just viewing her, he finally declared his love using a song that merfolk called both a blessing and a curse. A merman and maid can only sing it to those their heart connects with. They know not the words to it, for it is not necessarily something one is taught. It is not in the language of the sirens, nor is it in any language known to man or druid or dragon… well, perhaps it is dragon speech, but that has been lost for many years. He sang so passionately to her that she felt her own heart go out to him. She, however, was promised to another and due to the law of their kind, they were not to ever be together.

Juvia felt her own tears come to her eyes as she sang, and she instantly realized that her voice was taking form and volume. She closed her mug just as she got to the part where the woman came to the sea and allowed her merman to embrace her. Allowed him to touch her. It was a good place to stop… for that is where the story changed from a hopeful note to one of despair. Juvia splashed water on her face and ducked her head under the tidal pool. When she came back up, she was surprised to find that the man had sat up, and was watching her with… what kind of eyes were those?

* * *

Lyon waved his hand in the direction of the destroyed ship that he had been held prisoner on, his white tail flicking to and fro. Some man had seen him make his way out of the sea one night, and had captured him unawares. Of course, BrAMosia paid a hefty price for a LIVE merfolk sample… and Lyon was soon to be poked and prodded with utensils made of wood and steel. Cut apart. Dissected while still alive. Performed on with experiments that would never end until he drew his last breath. What a joy it was to see that the ship that had once held him hostage was now at the bottom of the sea, along with other such wrecks that had met the same fate.

"My Princess and Lord… I present to you, the Kell." Lisanna stared at where the Half was motioning and Elfman spoke up.

"Lead the way, Lyon Half-Man."

"As you wish, my Lord." And off they all went. As they neared the wreckage, Lyon spoke up again, his memory seeming to have never been altered at all. Lisanna felt a foul taste in the back of her throat. She didn't trust this Half. Not at all. "As you know, I am well accustomed to the human world." Lisanna bit back a smart reply and kept her mouth zipped as they swam. "Their… King, if you will, has servants who gather magic."

"Magic?" Elfman seemed surprised. This was turning out to be more of a touchy subject than he had first thought it to become. Perhaps their father should have been notified…

"Yes. Magic."

"In it's raw form?"

"Not quite. They cultivate it. Make it into something both they and we can digest. They call it, _Nether_. In turn, it gives them magical properties. The ability to perform magic."

"And?" Lisanna spoke up, curiosity getting the better of her now.

"And the Kell, my Princess, was transporting three crates of it. Elfman was speechless. And Lyon could tell. "Alas there is not much of it. Cultivating it does take away some of its heavenly value, and leaves it in small amounts. But small amounts are still amounts are they not?"

"And what is it that you want, Lyon?" Lisanna spoke up, her icy gaze turning to the white haired merman.

"Ah- my dear Princess. I am not interested in Nether. I want something more real than just a few years of being able to shoot sparks from my fingertips. I want Juvia."

* * *

"You have a beautiful voice…" Gray said slowly, unsure (still) of how to address a mermaid. Should he even speak to her at all? The girl looked at him with wide eyes and he watched as a light pink color slid up to her cheekbones. She looked as if she was going to say something, but then she quickly turned away and grabbed a stick that had been sharpened at the end. Speared onto it were four silvery fish. Her hand grasped the spear and she held it in his direction, eyes diverted away from him. "Are these to share?" She nodded and he smiled thoughtfully as he slid two of their forms off of the stick. When he had grabbed his, she took the spear back and did the same to her own. How she ate hers, he didn't care to know, and so he went back to his seat under the shade and wrapped the two fish up for later when he could figure out how he was going to start a fire.

When he turned back, the fish she had for herself were gone and she was carefully moving the kelp she had gathered from the ocean so that each side was flipped evenly in the sunlight. He returned to her and lowered himself onto a rock that served as a nice seat. Close enough to observe her, but far enough away so that she couldn't reach him if she decided she was more in the mood for the flesh of man than she was for fish. His eyes flickered as she turned to him. The two just stared at each other for a minute or two… and then Gray spoke up, sweeping his hand through his black hair.

"I'm… Sorry about earlier. That boy was the closest thing I had to family." The lady said nothing, only watched him. Was she as afraid of him as he was of her? "Do you have… family?" He almost cursed himself the moment he asked. This was just signing himself up for disaster, right? He would be one of those people that was dragged off by some monster to the sea and never heard from again if he managed to get so much as a whisper of their culture out of her mouth. Black eyes flickered to just that, and he watched as her lips formed words which would soon hit the air around them both.

"Juvia has friends, but she does not have family." His brow twitched and he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. What was he doing? Talking to a mermaid. emCh-children's stories?! Romeo's words slapped his brain, and he winced as a foul hand clenched his throat once more, threatening to have him spill tears.

"Is this one alright?" Her words surprised him. He looked up, his black hair flipping awkwardly into his gaze. He swept it away and found that she was closer to him now, a sincerely worried look on her face.

"Juvia wonders if this man is alright…" She seemed to withdraw into herself once more. He didn't want that. If she was the one who had saved him, then he was indebted to her. And how was he going to get off this island if he lost his only guide?

"Ah- about that… I'll be okay." He waved the despair off his face with a flick of his wrist and then spoke up again. "Is that your name? Juvia?" The girl blushed and nodded. It was then that Gray realized she had miniature starfish and pearls and shells in her hair. They caught the sunlight as a kaleidoscope and a prism does.

"Yes."

"I'm Gray. Gray Fullbuster." He extended his hand, calloused and dry to the most beautiful creature this world has hidden in it's secret coves. She inspected it for a second, then moved her own hand down, white as cream, and gripped his arm, halfway up to his elbow. Surprised, he almost drew back, but she smiled sweetly, gently, as one would at a babe, the light touching her hair softly and allowing rays to ricochet off the strands, and he allowed himself to stay still.

"Juvia has waited a long time to know this one's name." She said with a certain tone to her voice that Gray had never heard before. "She is happy to know Gray."

* * *

Lisanna inhaled sharply and felt her tail stiffen. The scales were uncomfortable now against her own flesh. Beside her, Elfman held his own breath.

"Of course, you could just say no to my request, and I would be on my way, letting the nearest territory know of your 'friends' unfortunate slip up. I am sure that they will take her being Seen as a lovely thing…" Lisanna tightened her grip on her weapon, her knuckles going white. Elfman was also in his own turmoil. They had promised Lyon whatever he wanted, but was it within their right to trade away the life of Lisanna's precious friend who had been with her since she was but a child? Why would he want her in the first place? Lisanna may not know, but her brother did, and he narrowed his eyes into slits at this. If a Half were to take on a mate, he would gain their status, no matter what his past actions had been. So long as he did not return to land, he would be seen as any pure-bred merfolk would. As an equal.

"Lisanna." She turned her head swiftly, her short hair floating around her as a ring of light. In this culture long hair is ideal for females, as it is cover for their feminine upper body, but their culture is the not the same as the humans who dwell on land. There is no law against showing their sex, although it is considered a brave move to keep their hair cut short. She met his gaze and shook her head instantly. He sighed and she almost dropped her jaw.

"You… you can't!" She argued in a low hiss.

"If not, she will surely die. We must think of what is best for Juvia." All the while, Lyon was watching with his arms behind his back. Amused by the mess that he had caused. Or rather, that Juvia had caused. It was not that Lyon only wanted this equality, though that was an added extra that he would be glad to take. No- he had seen the beautiful girl as she pulled the human free of the wreckage, using all her might to do so. And he knew right then and there that she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever laid eyes upon. And he wanted her.

"But…"

"LISANNA." The words were startling, even to Lyon. The girl fell silent and bit her lip, looking scorned but still having the will of a tigershark in her face. "You WILL listen to me. This is the best I can do for her. As a man, I must protect you and what you treasure. This is the only way to do so." He turned away from her now. Their conversation was over. There would be no more arguing about the matter. "Now. Lyon Half-Man. Take us to the _Nether._" Lyon smirked and nodded.

"This way."

Not much time had passed until they smashed open the crates with wetted straw and dug around to find the three small pouches that Lyon had promised. Elfman took all of them into his hands and, with Lisanna watching under hooded eyes, strung them onto the necklace that had always been 'round his thick neck. He looked over to his younger sister and she turned her head quickly. His eyes lingered on her for a while, but then he turned them back to Lyon.

"Lisanna is the best for tracking Juvia. We will follow her from here."

Not that Lyon hadn't seen where Juvia had pulled the cursed human to the surface, but it was true that they could have moved since then. If she was smart, she wouldn't allow him to stay in just one place. But then again, she was injured. Hot blood boiled under the half breed's skin, lifting goosebumps to the surface. If that human so much as laid a finger on her… he was going to make sure he had a death to remember.

With the party now following Lisanna's lead, she took to the front, going as slow as she could without appearing suspicious. She wondered then, though, just what she thought she was doing. Giving Juvia more time so that she could enjoy her last few hours of freedom? With her to wed Lyon, she would no longer be able to live with Lisanna. The two would be separated from one another. Life wouldn't be the same. No doubt Lisanna would be given another 'servant' as a replacement… but Juvia would have to fend for herself. The girl turned her head slightly so that she could just see the white-tailed bastard out of the corner of her eye. And it wouldn't even be taxes or unfriendly stares for the mate that she'd taken that would be the worst of it. Lyon caught her look and returned it with a small smile that only lifted the left corner of his mug. Lisanna looked away quickly, uninterested. Juvia was to fend herself against that brute…

As soon as the sun left the sky, Lisanna complained as obnoxiously as she could of a empty stomach and tiredness. It was obvious that Elfman knew what she was up to, but he said nothing, and the guards (and Lyon) were sent off in search of bedding and fish. She said nothing to her brother while they waited. In fact, she faced away from him, nervously twiddling with her fingers, blowing bubbles and keeping herself busy so that she wouldn't be tempted to cry. It wasn't Elfman's fault. Not at all. Lyon had made sure that the promise they were to keep was one that would hold them to their word. And a fine job he had done at that.

When the guards returned with their haul, Lisanna immediately went to bed, even without the food that she had complained for. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly so that her heart would cease its hammering. Hours later, she turned her body so that she could see Elfman out of the corner of her eye. The guards, of course, were keeping watch as they always did, but they were not facing the two royals. Instead, they were circling the boundary about a mile away, giving the two their privacy. With the silence that was bestowed upon them, Lisanna waited patiently for the sound of her brother's bubbles to reach her. When she was absolutely positive that he was asleep, she slowly moved towards him.

This would prove to be one of the trickiest things that Lisanna had ever done in her whole lifetime. Which wasn't very long, but still. Her heart pounded beneath her flesh and she held her breath as she reached forward, just in range of his necklace. With fingers that were careful not to touch his own skin, she untied one of the pouches of _Nether_ and clasped it between her fingertips. Now the hardest part. Retreating without being caught. Exhaling slowly, the mermaid looked to her left and right, catching the specific location of the guards before she turned her focus back to Elfman. One push should do, if she used it to her advantage. Bracing herself against the grainy bottom, she dug her nails into the sand and then simply… let go. She floated upwards a bit, and with a wiggle of her fin, she was propelled forward. When she was sure that she was out of hearing range, she kicked with renewed energy and took off speeding.

Sure, the guards had been there… but she had not missed the fact that Lyon had not yet returned.

* * *

Night had fallen and still Gray sat upon the same rock, speaking with Juvia. She had told him of her life, how things worked under the ocean. What specific events were held, what time of year was most precious, how she was affected by everything in the sea. She blabbered on and on, resting her chin on her hand and speaking as if he were an old friend. And he listened as one would. Intrigued, fascinated, curious and a little intimidated by the world that dwelled just beneath the surface. Juvia told him of how she had first found him, and here was where he started to become more aware of how her looks moved to him, lingered on him a little longer than they should have. She told him that she had watched him take the scales of the SunWing and put them into Romeo's hair. This evoked sadness within him, and as if she were some sort of radar that could pick it up, she switched to how it was used in her own world.

Turns out mermaids aren't born with hair… but if the SunWing mixture is not put on it, it will only grow white. Translucent almost. One can always tell a Half-Man, as she called them, based on their hair and fin color. Gray asked then, just why union between the creatures was frowned upon. Juvia only shook her head, replying with, "it is forbidden."

Gray stood after a while, his legs having cramped up and become stiff from sitting down for such a long time. He put his hands up in the air, stretching… and something that can only be described as having a hot iron expand across your skin, came hurtling towards him.

It all happened very slowly from there. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent drawl. Juvia looked up and her own eyes went wide with shock and fear as a spear slammed straight through his stomach, inches above his navel. He curled over it soundlessly, grabbing it with both hands as he slid to the ground, his head hitting with a sickening crack.

That's when the screams started. Juvia pulled herself up off the rocky pool and fell to the sand, doing her best to move over to where he lay, cringing and confused. Tears were already dripping from her cheeks, mixing in with saltwater as the tide grew closer to the duet. "GRAY!" A shadow passed over her and she looked up, momentarily frozen as she watched another man walk out from the waves themselves, his hand outstretched towards her. A dangerous glint rolled around in his darkened eyes. Murderer.

"Come, Juvia, my love, you are mine now, and this man you have admired for too long will draw his last breaths soon." The Half-Man grabbed Juvia's wrist with urgency, tugging on her so strongly that his knuckles went pale and her wrist stung tremendously at his touch. She screamed in panic now, her language switching back to her own as she fought against him, clawing at his grasp and trying to return to the human Lyon had just sent a spear through.

Gray grasped the weapon and heaved it out after a few seconds of his hands slipping on it's bloodied staff. He grunted at the pain and pressed his hands to his stomach, in a hopeless measure of perhaps clotting the wound. But it was laced with a venom only merfolk know the antidote to, and soon he could feel the fire pulsing through every one of his limbs. As if someone had laid a copper wire in his system and sent a bolt of electricity running through it. He screamed out his own protest, the sound of breaking windchimes mixing in with human despair. Juvia turned her head, tears fling from her eyes as she attempted to free herself.

"GRAY! GRAY! PLEASE! NOOO!" But her words were lost to the ocean as she was dragged beneath the waves by the strength of someone she could never be free from. Silence followed then. A deafening silence that graves are intimate with. The waves lapped the shore, pulling blood back with their foamy reach.

* * *

Lisanna slid out of the water, her salmon-colored tail flopping as she maneuvered herself over the man that Juvia had been so entranced with. She put a hand on his chest and looked at his face. He was indeed handsome… but the same warmth that ran through Juvia when she saw Gray did not go through Lisanna when she rested her eyes upon him.

"You absolutely MUST save Juvia. She is tied to you now, human. You are her only hope in a world that is now colorless. I am counting on you." She grabbed the small pouch of _Nether_ that she had stolen from her brother's careful watch and slowly undid it's string. The white grain inside emitted a mysterious light that caught the mermaid's eyes just as jewels do to that of a dragon. For a second she was tempted to keep it for her own, but she shook her head and tipped it to his parted lips. What if this didn't work? He was still holding the hole in his stomach, as if trying to keep the blood from pouring out all at once. He coughed as the texture hit his tongue, but she held his mouth tightly with one firm hand, tilting his neck so that he would swallow it. Strangely enough, the grain took on the properties of liquid as it was dropped into his mug and slipped down his throat. He gasped for breath, his hands taking on life again as he struggled with his throat. It burned… it hurt! He tried to scream but all that came out was a strangled exhale of air.

When it had all been emptied into his mouth, she dropped the pouch and closed his jaw, holding it shut even though he struggled against her. His legs bent, trying to kick against her, and she had to flop around in order to stabilize herself against his movements. Under the starry sky, the two struggled with one another. One trying to reject the life-sustaining substance that the other had been so desperate to give.

"YOU HAVE TO SAVE HER!" She screamed as he swallowed and she let go, her nails having left small indents in his flesh. Using all her might, Lisanna pushed herself back, crawling backwards into the foam once more. She disappeared underneath the surface and turned around, sure that she was going to get quite the scolding from her brother when he found that there were only two pouches of _Nether,_if he had not already discovered one missing. She smiled sadly. At least she had done what she had believed to be right. That was the best she COULD do. It would be up to that human to make sure her efforts did not go to waste.

* * *

When Gray awoke, he felt cold. Even though the sun had risin to it's pinnacle in the sky and was flaring down on him, he couldn't feel the reason as to why sweat was beading on his forehead and under his arms. He blinked a few times, having dejavu stab his skull with steely knives. He turned groggily to the right, eyes desperately trying to focus on a tidal pool that was laced with high rocks. A laugh hit his ears then, and a flash of a memory not too old flew before his gaze. A beautiful girl with pearls and shells in her hair, speaking, talking, laughing with him. His chin moved again as he held up his hand covered in dried blood. Minutes passed before he could sit up, and when he did, he wished he hadn't. His stomach hurt like holy hell… and- the wound was gone. Eyes bulged as he looked around. There was the spear. Was that what had really gone through him? And then he turned back to his flesh, experimentally poking at it.

What surprised him the most was not that the wound was gone (although that was indeed what it was to begin with). It was the lace-like frost that erupted from his hand and onto his flesh when he made contact with it that sent his heart to a flatline. What the… "You absolutely MUST save Juvia." The words were as ink is on parchment in his mind. Gray put a hand to his head and winced, his face contorting with effort. Coughing… sputtering… something that tasted like everything yet nothing at all… A fish returning to the sea with the top half of a girl connected to it. He hissed as cold flared through his head at the touch of his own hand. What… what was this?! A rustle in the foliage behind him had him on his knees and scrambling to get a good grip on gravity within moments… but what emerged had him squinting his eyes to see properly without puking.

"Looks like you're in quite the fix, you are." It was a fairy. A FAIRY. TALKING. Not squealing and hollering and chattering some nonsense away. "Are you confused?" The fairy… was TALKING. The figure flew closer, far enough away though so as not to be caught by clasped hands. Gender? Girl. Obvious by her long blonde hair and huge green eyes. Clear wings fluttered behind her back, and something flickered underneath her ankle-length dress. A… tail? But fairy's weren't supposed to have…The little fairy only the size of the boy's pinky, flew up close and peered into his eyes. "My name is Mavis, and you, Gray Fullbuster, are now a mage."

_Note: I actually wasn't going to get into Fairy Tail at all… I'm like that with mainstream anime's/manga's. I think they're given too much credit. I grew up with Naruto and most of my ideals and morals are based from that series… I love it. But Fairy Tail? Blew me away when I first started watching it. I thought I would just watch one episode and get it over with. But soon I was hooked. The idea of non-related people forming a bond that rivalled those of blood family members really strikes me as important. I hope someday I, too, can have friends like that. I hope you enjoyed nether! I have received two requests to continue it~ so the series WILL be continued in BOOK 2 of ICE: BrAMosia_


	4. BOOK TWO OF ICE (BrAMosia): PART I

_Note: Hello~ Thank you for continuing with the Book of Ice! Nether started out as just a thought and quickly grew into a world I wanted to shape for my own. If it means anything to know the definition of the word, Bramosia means "greed." This took a while to release just because I'm a full-time student in college, the owner of a very young horse who needs ground training almost every day, and a member of two clubs, one that is competitive, it's kind of difficult to find time to just relax and write. Hopefully the site will allow a very lonnggg chapter! Please remember that this has nothing to do with Hiro Mashima, as this is fanfiction, and the characters are his own! Thank you for reading, and please review to tell me how I'm doing! :)_

* * *

**.:BOOK TWO OF ICE:.**

**BrAMosia**

Our story so far:

Gray Fullbuster, a sailor working on a galleon known as the Kell, was saved from a shipwreck by a mermaid, Juvia. This cargo ship, however, was not just carrying trading goods. Three crates containing mere small pouches of _Nether_, magic that can be put into the human system by simply cultivating it into a product that can be digested, were discovered. A prisoner was also on board, who turned out to be a Half-Man named Lyon, the bastard child of a merfolk and a human. He, in turn for keeping Juvia's afflictions with the human a secret, demands he be paid by having her hand in marriage by the Royals of the Eastern Yulena (a merfolk kingdom). Princess Lisanna takes it upon herself to steal one of these pouches of _Nether_ and give it to Gray, who has been fatally wounded by Lyon's weapon, healing him and giving him the abilities of a mage for a limited time (around a year). He has awoken, confused by his newfound powers and is now in the presence of a true fairy (who are rare indeed) that goes by the name of Mavis.

* * *

**PART I**

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different..."

I suppose the government should be revealed to you now. There are, as you know from perhaps your realm, a counsel of very powerful men and women. However here, seeing as there is no magic, these members are similar to apothecaries. There are seven of them, one from each population of the world. Jio of the Merfolk, Koan of the Fairfolk (elves), Oakke for the druids, Makarov (a very wise human) to represent the dragon, Faye for the magical creatures who cannot speak for themselves, Ys for the humans and West as a man who is not biased to any of the sides. They form the Counsel. I suppose in our world of reality it could be compared to the ideal outcome of the United Nations.

However, there is much that the Counsel keeps from one another. And our interest for Book Two of Ice is focused in on the human advocate, Ys. For years Ys has been involved with a group known as "Jhegur," who basically harvest _Nether,_ illegally. So long as he scratches their back, they scratch his. It is strictly forbidden for a Counsel member to be involved in the harvesting of _Nether._ If they take part in it and are caught doing so, they are never heard from or seen again. They simply… disappear.

"A- a.." Had he heard the little spark right? Gray narrowed his eyes, blinking a few times before reopening them once more. "Excuse me…what?" The little fairy sighed and fluttered away, her wings snipping audibly at the clear atmosphere around them.

"You just have to be told the difficult way, don't you?"

"Sorry-I-" but his words were cut short when darkness enveloped him and the only light that came through was from the creature.

"Lesson number one!" she announced happily, swaying her arms out. Her form shifted and turned into one that was more… lifelike. She had become the size of a young child, reaching up to Gray's waist. Gray could only stare dumbfounded at her. Yeah- that was definitely a tail beside her ankles. "What is a mage?" She smiled and turned around, her blonde hair rippling behind her as she took one step. The world erupted into colorful images, swirling around the two and moving with a life of their own. "Or rather, what is magic? Magic is something that many realms possess, although this one has a bit of a troubling time getting to it. When a star falls and hits the ground, it turns the soil into raw _Nether_. You know what that is right?" He shook his head no and she puffed up her cheeks, her small hands clenching into fists. How old exactly was this… this being? "Okay. Well put simply, that raw _Nether_ can be made into something that can be eaten. You!" She spun around, suddenly right in front of him and jabbed him in the stomach. Right where he had been stabbed. Gray's eyes crossed and his own cheeks puffed up, his face turning blue. Mavis watched with interest and then her hair stood on end, her eyes narrowed sharply. "Quit pretending it hurts." Gray narrowed his eyes and almost swung at her when he realized… no… it didn't hurt! What in the world…

"In any case. You, Gray Fullbuster, have been given said _Nether,_ though not of your own accord. I suppose it's what's keeping you from falling over dead right now…" Again with the teleporting thing… she was all around him at once, lifting up his arms, tilting his chin up, moving his ankle, pulling his hair.

"Hey would you-"

"Yes, yes, very strange. I wonder…" She thought quietly to herself and then cheerfully perked up once more. "And, you can now use magic! Surprise, you win!" Little pieces of holographic-like confetti popped out of nowhere, exploding all around her.

"Magic?!" She nodded, grinning, and then the screens disappeared one by one, until once again Gray was consumed in a black dome.

"But, you have to be careful. There's no limits to what one can do with magic, especially a human. So don't take your newfound powers lightly." She eyed the lad as he stared at his hands that had begun to tremble ever so slightly. "Well, that's it for lesson one!" The darkness disappated into nothingness and Gray sat down, still staring off into space. Mavis had returned to her original form which was roughly the size of a large paperclip, and settled down on his knee, kicking her feet into the air as she did so. "Aren't you excited? Oh and you can talk to creatures now… GRAY-SAMA IS LIKE A PRINCESS!" Gray felt a peeved feeling claw at the ends of his hair.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with that?!"

"Well first and foremost, you can talk to me. You're my new best friend dont'cha know?" Friend? Speaking about a friend…

"What about Juvia?"

"Who?" Gray leaned forward, almost knocking the little creature off of his knee. A determined look replaced that of pure naivety that had been on him earlier.

"Juvia! The mermaid? She was sto-… taken!"

"Ohhhhhhh… Yes. Well, the only way you can save her is if you go after her!" Mavis smiled, her eyes closing as she tilted her little head to the side. Was this all just a game for her? Did she even understand what saving meant? Gray stood up and started running towards the ocean. Mavis gathered herself together after almost falling to the ground and flittered after him. "Wait! Gray! Graay WAIT!" But he didn't wait. His arms pumped and his chest heaved as his bare feet dug into the sand. He closed his eyes, willing for whatever power the magic within him now could grant him to surface. And boy it did. Beneath his feet, frost formed on the grains of sand. Mavis was met with a gusty wind of ice particles and she screamed as he touched the ocean. "SALT WATER DOESN'T FREEZE!" And with that, Gray slammed (rather comically) into the salt water, the momentum blockage rocketing him forward and sending his face to collide with the liquid. Mavis flew to his side and pulled on his hair, her small attempt at helping him get up. The boy was not grateful for such a move and he swatted her away thoughtlessly.

"Then how the hell am I supposed to get off this goddamn island?" It is only to be expected that Gray would have trouble trying to assess his position now. He had never asked to catch the affections of a merfolk, he had never asked to be shipwrecked, then stabbed on an island that he could not escape from. Everything, it would appear, was against him now. The boy bit his lip, making a mark on the flesh that remained even after he released it from his hold, and turned to the small creature that was flittering about. She only smiled toothily, which further pissed the sailor off.

"Do you need to review lesson one, princess?" Gray's brow twitched and he raised his hand, his fingers flowing downward until just his middle one was pointing towards the sky and Mavis laughed cheerfully, clearly amused by the motion. She fluttered forward and stood on his knuckles, leaning up against his rude motion. "Princess lesson! Always speak to animals with great courtesy. If you are respectful towards them, they will most likely return the favor."

Animals. Animals? Was she trying to tell him he could call a shark or something? Because that would be badass. He looked to her, then back at the ocean, took a step forward and raised his fingers to his lips. A shrill noise peaked out of his mouth and Mavis's hands flew to her tiny ears. After minutes of releasing the noise into silence and nothing coming out of it, Gray turned swiftly to the fairy and crossed his arms. She just shrugged. Her eyes, seconds later, caught something behind him and he turned. What he saw nearly had his heart sink back to the ship. A turtle.

"Curious of noise, this one was." It spoke in grated tones, harsh and old. The animal itself looked exactly the part. "This one came to see." Gray, still pissed that it wasn't some super cool sea life that had come to him, turned to Mavis one more time. However, she wasn't there. The little thing seemed to have disappeared out of thin air. "Go back, this one will. A silly human is all it was."

"WAI-WAIT!" Gray almost screamed the word out, his hesitation getting the better of him and causing his voice to crack. "I was the one who called you."

"It speaks, it does. As if it knows our language! Huff." The turtle moved slowly back towards the waves, but Gray ran beside it, skidding to a stop in the wet sand.

"Please, I need your help."

"Perhaps it knows our language… it asks for help it does. What does it want with us?"

"I need a way back to a port. A way to a city of men."

"A favor, it asks, but offers nothing in return. Perhaps another turtle will be more willing, perhaps." And the creature continued slowly back to sea. Gray ran to it again after a few moments of disbelief crowding his face and he knelt down beside it.

"Whatever you need."

"It offers great things, after all. But what good will it do Moh, who only wants a body that is youthful?"

"I can do that!" Gray sputtered, desperate. Something pinched him on the back of his neck. He winced and slapped at it, revealing nothing to be there. "When we reach the harbor, I can switch you with something that will never grow old." There were stories of magic being able to switch bodies. The mind would stay the same but the body would be different.

"Never grow old? A body he says, that will not fail me, but will allow for life?"

"Yes, yes!"

"It is troublesome, it is… will this body breathe?" It felt like a trick question. But then again, Gray had thought of turning the thing into a stone of sorts.

"Uh-"

"Will it travel?"

"Yes."

"Moh will take you then, as long as your promise stands firm."

And so it was. Gray had made his first promise with a creature, an unbreakable one that would most likely keep him fast to it for a long while. And the turtle, whose name was indeed Moh, allowed for travel upon her back to a port that turned out to be tens of miles from the island. Her pace was slow and steady, calm yet steadfast. Two days was all it took. And though Gray stayed awake the first night, sleep got the better of him soon and grabbed him into darkness.

When they arrived, he fell sideways onto the sand, which jarred him awake. After he sat up, the aged turtles voice came through to him once more. "Take this Moh with you now, you will."

"What?" The boy rubbed his eyes, instantly regretting that decision for sand had clung to his hands and was now all over his face, threatening to scratch the delicate flesh behind his lashes.

"This one wishes to travel, and travel it will. I have heard from small tongues that you are on a journey. You will fulfill your promise and travel with me."

"As what, though?"

"Anything will do, so long as you do not part from it."

The only thing he had never parted from was hanging around his neck, glistening in the moonlight. Gray fiddled with the necklace, holding it up slowly. "Will this do?"

The turtle peered indifferently at the thing and then spoke, her words rough. "This one supposes it will do."

But the problem was, Gray had no idea how to change a living creature into something material. A tug on his hair turned his head where he found Mavis sitting on his shoulder.

"A fine mess you've gotten yourself into, princess."

"Just tell me how to do it."

"What's a magic word?"

"…please?" The fairy moved her hand through her long hair, then stood up.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?" She glared at him.

"Do it. I don't want you doing this again, but Moh appears to be alright with the decision. You will never perform this magic, and therefore you will never see it. Close your ugly eyes before I poke them out."

Gray shut his lids quick and heard nothing more.

He did not know how he had fallen asleep. Perhaps that's just how magic worked. But when he woke, he was lying flat on his back, caressed by the waves of the ocean, and there was a new feeling that was heavy on his chest. He grunted as he sat up, looking for what might give off such weight, and found that the necklace he wore around his neck was what was causing him grief. Curious, the lad picked up the pendant and examined it.

_You have never used magic, have you?_ Gray blinked.

"Moh?"

_This one is tired of sitting here. It iss best your feet get moving. Moh wants an adventure._


	5. BOOK TWO OF ICE (BrAMosia): PART II

Year is still 1143 FD—the summer months are dying and fall has almost taken it's place on the throne of seasons.

_Note: Book Two started out really slow, but I figured I should get a piece of it out there while I had the time and patience to upload it. I'm doing my best right now, including putting off a paper that is due tomorrow morning- Please forgive me; recall that I am a full-time college student but I will do my best to continue to please you with my work! **Also, if you would like to see a map of these places, please go to deviantart, look up my username (dreamsofmercury) and it should be in my gallery folder labelled Nether Fanfics.** Thank you for reading!_

**PART II**

_Eastern Yulena_

"Juviaaa… please… you have to eat at some point." No answer came from behind the delicately carved door, the room that Lisanna had had specially prepared for Juvia when she first came to live with her. Another knock sounded and Lisanna sighed, putting the tray of exquisite food down on the floor so that the girl may come to retrieve it if her stomach got the better of her silence. "I'm sorry. I did what I had to do."

Which was exactly the same thing that she told her brother when he'd discovered that the white haired sister of his had taken a pouch of the _Nether_. Of course he had been furious. At first. But deep down, Elfman understood that what Lisanna had done had been for Juvia's benefit. However, he was still raging on and on (in privacy to her of course) about just how dangerous the whole situation will be when (not if, mind you) Lyon finds out. The survival of the sailor that had stolen Juvia's affections was a complete secret between the two siblings. No one else was to know—not even Juvia.

Inside the room the blue-haired mermaid stared outside her window, as she had been for the past week. The only thing she could think about was _him._ How the spear had gone straight through his torso, emerging out the other side covered in sticky blood. The tears did not come. They had dried up days and days ago. The only thing that did come was an almost unbearable ache in her chest. Strong enough to throw her desire for food out to the curb. If she did manage to eat, she had to force a little down at a time, resisting the urge to puke it all back up with every swallow. It is no myth that merfolk are indeed drawn to those that they might mate with. That song that they are only able to perform for their heart's desire is proof enough of this. Juvia blinked painstakingly slow, her dry eyes becoming blurry from staring too long. With a twist of her neck, she leaned her head against the window, wincing when a shell dug into her scalp, reminding her that those ornaments she had braided in when Gray was still alive were indeed still there. Now the tears began again and she opened her mouth, allowing a song of regret and remorse to flow from her vocal chords. She was finishing up the tale of the merman and the maiden from land. The promised suitor of the woman followed her one night to the ocean and watched as she was greeted by a man with a fin. Full of malice and despair, he met with the local fishermen and by the next week, he had a posse ready to intercept the creature who had stolen his woman. In the end, the merman was harpooned and hung up in the town for all to see, even though he was still breathing. The woman was locked up, but a friend of hers stole the key and let her out the day before the merman was to be killed. She ran to him, clad only in her nightgown, barefoot on the pier and she embraced his frame. Cruelty knowing no measures had ensured his voice be taken away from him, his tongue cut out. In the darkness of a new moon, she sang the melody of the song he had sung to her many times. By the end of it, she had slit his throat with a knife she had snagged from the table before she left, and then she turned the blade towards herself.

Outside, Lisanna had stopped in mid-stride, hearing the voice of Juvia minutes after she had put the tray down. She bit her lip in order to try to force back the tears, and she moved on, sure that she would not be able to comfort her friend at all without risking their position in the matter.

_Port Rile_

After weeks of working as an errand boy, a waiter, and a fisherman's assistant, Gray was finally able to purchase things that would make his trek a little more bearable. Not that the trek was going to be easy in the first place. In fact, it was probably one of the most stupid feats he'd ever attempted. Slender fingers fumbled with the belt, looping it around his waist as he recalled just what had happened that morning on the beach when Moh had been transferred into his necklace.

"You'll need to go to the highest mountain in the Magnolian range. There you'll find a teacher."

"Who the hell would live on a mountaintop?" Gray asked, gathering himself together before starting to move forward. The weight was still bothering him.

"A dragon." Gray stopped in his tracks, his mouth gaping. He turned his head towards Mavis, where she was still struggling to keep up with his fast pace—she slammed inevitably against the back of his head, dust sputtering everywhere. She puffed up her cheeks, about to go off on him for stopping so suddenly, but when she saw his face, she stopped, her green eyes softening. "It won't be that bad—all you have to do is—." But he cut her off.

"All I have to do is travel all the way to the Magnolian Mountain Range, somehow get past the infamous gates and keepers of the peak, brave the winter storms that will surely be there by the time we arrive, and find this dragon. Oh, he's also a known man-eater." Mavis interjected on this.

"That was hundreds of years ag—."

"In any case, he's a man-eater and he'll probably gobble me up for breakfast!"

_Or as a tea-time snack; if you're not going to go little human, I'd give up on your mermaid._ Gray stared down at his necklace, where Moh's voice was coming from. Pointedly he glared at Mavis. She shrugged. Apparently keeping secrets about the reasons as to why they were going on this so-called adventure in the first place wasn't her forte. That would be the last time he trusted her with information of the kind he'd like to keep pretty damn quiet.

"Are you sure, Mavis? That this is the only way I can save her? That I can't…"

"What, just bust in there with not a clue how to form ice in salt water? As if, princess, there's no possible way. You will need the dragon's knowledge in order to rescue Juvia. Unless, of course, you wish yourself to be dead within moments of entering the merfolk's territory."

_I do not fancy being a piece of silver for millennia. _Gray rolled his eyes at this comment and then squared his shoulders.

"Fine-Fine." And he continued walking, moving towards the town upon the water he would come to know as Port Rile.

The first thing he had bought were travelling clothes. Including a thick winter jacket that would no doubt keep the cold from his bones as he made the most dangerous trek of the century up the mountain range in the middle of the snowy months. But in the middle of purchasing the stuff, his stomach let loose an angry sound, causing Mavis to hold her breath. The sound was audible from the point where she sat, which was on Gray's shoulder. Apparently only those who had magic in their bodies could see real fairies, which is why pixies were always mistaken as them. Real fairies had tails, and pixies did not. Then, a soft chuckle, as light as the tinkling of little tiny bells, erupted from her jaw and Gray felt the heat rise to his cheeks.

Not minutes later he found himself in a tavern, scented by ale and warmed by the laughter of those who took pride in each other's company and time. He was greeted by a cute waitress, her height hiding her age, no doubt. She came to his table asking what he would like to have.

"Warm milk and the cheapest meal you have on your menu." She blinked and looked at him through large hazel eyes. Her stare bore into him, nearly searing the new clothes right off of his body. "W-what?" Had he said something extremely weird this time? Or had she seen Mavis? The little fairy was busy stuffing her face with a few grapes she had stolen from some unsuspecting table.

"Nothing!" She blushed and closed her small notepad. Hurriedly she flattened her dress with her hands and smiled. "I'll get that out right away, alright? Don't move an inch!" Surprised by the liveliness of the girl, Gray stared after her, her hair reminding him of Juvia. That sent a hollow ache through his already empty gut. He frowned and returned to staring at the table, his hands clasped together on the wooden top.

Not much later the girl returned, skillfully holding three glasses, one of which was his warm milk, and a saucer with five different plates on it. She smiled as she set down his milk and maneuvered to the other tables, also setting down their drinks before making her way back, dropping food off at their designated tables along the way. When she finally got back to him, she sat herself down and surprised him even further by pulling out the notepad once more and a quill with ink already inside of it. Those things were hard to come by, especially in a Port town such as this one. She looked up at him expectantly and cheerfully began speaking. On his shoulder, Mavis stared curiously at the girl, sure that there was some sort of method to her madness.

"You're a traveler, right?"

"W…sort of."

"Where are you going?!" Her words made his eyebrows peak and the emotions that ran across her face told him that she had not meant to scream out in front of him. "I… I love hearing stories from everyone here. Could you tell me where you've been and where you're going?" Gray toyed idly with the handle of the mug that his milk was in and adjusted his seat. A sign of discomfort on his part.

"I'm actually going to go see the dragon in the mountains." When he looked up, expecting to see disbelief on her face, he found instead that she had simply stopped breathing. A wave of movement sent him backwards in his chair, eyes wide when her hands slammed on the table and she rocketed as far forward as she could, almost falling out of her chair.

"No way! That is so cool! Is there a reason? Or are you just going to prove yourself that you can do it?" Gray smiled, immediately relaxing. This girl was cute in a little sister sort of way. So, although Mavis tugged on his ear multiple times, he told her his story. Having seen a mermaid, being shipwrecked (he skipped the part of having come into contact with Nether) and explaining that now he was on his way to go and see if he could convince the dragon to teach him a way to get the mermaid back. When she asked why he chose the dragon, he paused, trying to come up with some excuse.

"I suppose… I figured that the only being that would have no bias against the affairs of a merfolk and a human would be someone who is supposedly the last of their kind. I think with the dragon I'll find actual help and not be turned away because of what is deemed right and what is found to be unacceptable."

The girl nodded slowly, "I'm Levy, by the way, and if you ever come back to Port Rile, you come straight to me. I want to hear all about your adventure. Oh and bring that mermaid if you can. I want to meet her!" She stood up, readjusted her apron and went back to the counter, where a girl with brown hair greeted her and smiled over at Gray. A sister? No, they were too different. Perhaps just a very good friend.

In the corner of the tavern, a boy about his age, with salmon colored hair, and a tall man had their elbows on a table, hands clasped and were staring intently at one another. Around them a crowd had gathered, and there was no secret to the fact that there was money being passed around. Gray ate and drank as he watched the two men wrestle, both equal in their desire to be the victor. The younger one won, however, and he stood up on his chair, pumping his arms and jeering. A few people muttered from the other tables, stating how Natsu was not welcome here since he tended to take all their money in the process of his games. Gray waved down the brunette, whose name he learned was Cana and put his money down on the table, moving out the door after doing so.

"It was about time you left. You took forever to eat!" Mavis would never miss a beat, would she? Gray glared at her and aimed for a weapons shop which was beside a small-town bakery. Two girls, both with fine clothing on, passed him in the street, and he felt their gazes on his back when they had gone out of his sight. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Girls were always causing trouble, be they human or of a different kind.

Once inside the weapons shop, Gray found himself browsing in the more dilapidated sword aisle, for that was all he could afford. The man behind the counter was of the brawny sort, big and muscular, and Gray had no doubt that he was a blacksmith as well as a shopkeeper. While perusing the line, he kept touching the hilts of some of the swords. It is said that a weapon chooses it's own owner, and that the user will know which sword is right for him just by touching the hilt. But after a while of not 'feeling' anything but cold metal, Gray exhaled and almost gave up. Just as he was about to leave the shop, Mavis tugged on a strand of his hair and pointed to a sword that was almost hidden behind a large cleaver. Gray paused a moment, staring at the piece of equipment as one would a darkened cavern. Hesitantly he made his way over to it and picked it up. It wasn't exactly a sword, but it was longer than a dagger and bigger as well. The sheath it was in was a simple one, made just out of sewn leather straps. When he pulled it out of its casing, he stared at it. It was rusted at the hilt, which could be a problem if it broke. It had a chip in the middle and seemed to be falling apart. Nevertheless, he swung it from side to side and looked at it once more, a little bit more thoughtful.

_It looks like junk._ Moh spoke up for the first time in forever and Mavis screwed her eyebrows close to one another.

"Just because it looks like junk doesn't mean that it is, right princess?"

"Right…"

In the end, he ended up buying the hybrid sword for super cheap, as the shopkeeper seemed to want to get rid of the thing, and Gray exited the store, turning his head in the direction of which he would be going the following morning.

"Mavis?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it true that this dragon is the last in the world?" The little fairy turned her head and scoffed.

"As if I would know, I'm just a fairy, not a book of knowledge!" Gray smiled.


End file.
